The time came to turn back clocks and give yourself an extra hour of sleep. This is one of the dumbest things human beings have ever done. You can't make anything better and you can make some things worse by messing around with something as important as time. The men who decided and made the rules should be forced to count black cows in the dark!
We stretched new wire on the sixty and added a few new posts. The post driving is a young man's job and, believe me, after driving one I determined to let the young do it! I was achy when I got up and my shoulder continues to be stiff -- golden age, I suppose! Good thing we added new wire because it was about to fall to the ground in rust dust. I think it was put in during the '50s.
The bred cows are sort of a problem. We don't want them fat and we sure don't want them too thin, and the old hides are busy eating day and night, gaining on the good grass. I find it pretty silly to complain about the abundance of fodder but, gosh, what is a feller to do? We have decided to move the yearlings in and, while they are penned, we can trail the cows to that pasture. Lots of grass there, too, but not much Bermuda. We will take advantage of having the yearlings here to weigh them and check for problems that are easily missed when not in the chute.
I enjoy feeding the bulls and watching them. They get along pretty well, sorta like a bunch of Hell's Angels, but not fighting constantly. They will bump each other and then the necks draw up, snorts abound, and holes are dug for graves of the victims! This bunch of bulls has not damaged any buildings or fences and not many years does that happen. The youngest fellers respect their positions and stay out of the old man's way, and that is the only thing that keeps them as calm as they are.
I made it to the coffee emporium early this morning. It was raining and I figured it was a good time to visit. The table was in session and the subject was the result of the election. It is good to have a complete picture of politics, not only one party but all of them, and it allows a lively conversation. We do have a majority of one, but the fellers are kind and never act mean-spirited to the other side. They did get pretty rowdy over the contest for gambling in the state. Mostly, they wanted to go visit the establishments when built but knew they had no extra cash to entertain themselves. I stayed longer than I realized and had to hurry to get back to work and finish before noon.
Fall weather and rainy days are upon us. We need rain to replenish the springs that run and to keep ponds full. How else are the fellers that sell rubber boots gonna stay in business if it is dry all year? My regular boots fit nicely into the boots, but they weigh a ton at the end of the day. Old Dog rides up front with me on wet days and he smells like a wet dog. We just put up with it, a small inconvenience for the loyalty and dependability of a good friend.
It is my opinion, and everyone has one, the season of remembering and kindness is upon us and it is one of the best for all mankind. Smiles and gifts, secret deliveries to doorsteps, cards to lonely folks and gatherings for fellowship and food abound this time of the year. We have that opportunity now during this month and next, to show our true colors. Give and love are the two keywords. Give time, smiles, hugs and understanding and, as we all know, love is the most important of all.
I crave turkey, cranberry sauce and gravy!
Bill is the pen name used by the Gravette area author of this weekly column. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 11/14/2018